Broken Wings
by Alphavolcano
Summary: Specters don't always start off greatly and newly found power can easily get to the head. Valentine had to learn on his skin what price a rebellious warrior must pay, but that just helped him see things with new eyes. The rise and fall of a great Specter. [Harpy Valentine; Wyvern Rhadamantys]


This was first uploaded on my Tumblr blog and now I shall give it a shot here. I am still saddened by the fact that Valentine doesn't appear in the list of characters here- Oh, well.

Tell me if I didn't notice typos or things like that, yes? Enjoy!

I was a man with no life. If you were to stare right into my eyes when I was first reborn, you wouldn't have seen anything at all, just the complete void of a soulless body that did not know where or who to turn to. Maybe that was why I did not even fight against the Celestial Star that possessed my body, I refused to resist, just letting it take over for I had nothing to lose.

Being thrown into a world I knew nothing of didn't feel too bad, nor did it feel good- Once again I could not muster up anything else but the complete lack of empathy that had always distinguished me from the others, even when I was nothing more than a human walking on the sandy beaches of Cyprus. And it was more frustrating than I thought. Then again, why could I feel only frustration? My face only showed an eternal frown or a scolding expression that I wore in front of everyone, in every situation.

It was not a good idea to defy the rules of the Underworld, I understand that only now, for I was too stupid, too self-centered to even begin to follow the norms and principles that I, as a Specter, was supposed to heed to, regardless of my own thoughts. But I simply couldn't. I was too stubborn, way too...I lack the word to properly describe myself. I can only say that I am disgusted by own behaviour at the time.

What would I have become, if I had kept on doing exactly the opposite of everything I was supposed to do? I was like a demon with no master, a bird with no air to sustain my flight- But i did not care. They gave me wings to soar and claws to kill, but not help for my mind. I think the worse began when I came to acnowledge my strength, which surpassed that of many. Not only was I under no control whatsoever, but I also had the power to destroy many lives with a single movement of my hand- I felt so incredibly powerful that I wanted more. If I was so much better than the others, why couldn't I be the one to control them?

I spent hours flying above the plains of the Underrworld, observing, planning, calculating. I was so sure of myself, so sure of the perfection that was my plan- So stupid to think no one had noticed me. Such a strong Specter was not to be left 'unattended' and in my infinite presumption I did not pay enough attention to the shadows around me, shadows that had piercing eyes.

There's no excuse for my ridiculous behaviour, no excuse for what I have done, but at the time I just couldn't accept the fact that I was being treated as someone of low class despite my rather visible strength. How smug must I have looked, when my Master first saw me? I stood on a throne of made up ideas of greatness, I was as self-absorbed as I could be- My fall was to be great. And painful.

I believed myself to be strong, but when faced with true, unparalleled power I was forced on my knees, so deeply in pain that I could barely breath without coughing out blood or feeling my muscles spasm. As I laid there, so close to death, I could only wish that my hunter would put an end to my suffering. He didn't. He observed me with an emotionless face, as if waiting for something, something that apparently I gave him without realizing I did.

"You are a warrior with no pride. No honor. Like a bird with broken wings tou try to fly, only to fall back down onto Earth." His tone lacked any sort of comforting hint and yet I felt so oddly...Relieved? "I can teach you." I expected him to kill me with a swift blow, but all he did was force me back onto my feet, uncaring of my broken bones. And I did not hate him for what he had done to me. If possible, I adored him ever since that very moment, in which he gave me something I couldn't even fathom. Trust.

He healed my broken wings and taught me how to fly properly with them. I learnt the importance of honor, the importance of believing in something and trusting someone, a single person, with your whole being.

Then why? You, who taught me everything! Why would you do this to me? Have I not been a good enough warrior, have I not been the underling you wished me to be? The fist in my chest hurts less than your actions. _Do not kneel_. You were not made to _kneel_, you were made to _lead_. My companions died because they believed in you, they believed you could be the one to lead us to victory!

I can't do nothing but stare in horror right now. A despicable sensation I wished I had forgotten long ago. I die in front of you, as the underling I had always been, with my knees on the ground and my head low.

_I wish I could be the one to heal your broken wings. _


End file.
